Veteran Bucksport patrolman upgraded to detective sergeant

BUCKSPORT, Maine — Veteran patrolman David Winchester has been promoted to detective sergeant at the Bucksport Police Department.

Winchester, 32, will fill the post left vacant by Sean Gegan, who was named police chief recently. As detective sergeant, Winchester will be in charge of the evening patrol and of investigations for major crimes.

“Dave is a very good investigator, and very thorough,” Gegan said. “He’s a hard worker at everything he does. We expect big things out of him and the position.”

Winchester is a Bucksport native and a graduate of Bucksport High School. He holds a degree in criminal justice from the University of Maine at Augusta. His law enforcement career began in Bar Harbor where he served as a seasonal officer. He has been with the Bucksport Police Department for 9½ years, where he has served as the department’s field training officer.

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Winchester said he looks forward to the investigative part of the job.

“I enjoy the investigative part of law enforcement,” he said. “It’s something I enjoy more and more as I get older.”

At this point, he said, property crimes will pose the biggest challenges for him as an investigator.

“Because of the economic situation, we’re seeing more property crimes — burglary and theft,” he said. “That’s something that’s affected every community and every law enforcement agency. It’s something we’re all facing.”

Winchester will be married in two weeks and will live in Bucksport with his wife, Michaela, and 9-year-old stepson, Damien.